Rat-trap.



G. MATSON.

RAT TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.16.1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914,

N pira marasma tiri-ca l *l eUs'rAr Mawson, or DAIsYaJoWN, PENNSYLVANIA; i

Appnauon ined october 1e, 19.13. seria1 No. 795,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownv that I, GUsrAr MAfrsoN, a subject'of the Czar of Russia, residing at Daisytown, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in4

Rat-Traps, of which the following isy a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates torattraps, and.

has for itsV object to provide a device of such class, which is simple'in its construc- V tion and arrangement,`strong, durable, efli` that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trap in f accordance with this invention showing the adaptation thereof with respect to a trapping compartment, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view,broken away, Fig. 3 1s a pery spective view of the combined bait and platform holder, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the trap.

Referring to the drawings in detail,` 1 denotes airectangular shell open at its top and bottom and having each of its end walls 2 provided near the bottom thereof with an angle bracket 3, the latter being secured to the outer faceof its respective end wall and constitutes a support for engagement with the top edge of a receptacle 4, the latter constituting a trapping compartment 5, which may be filled with water if desired for the purpose `of drowning the rodent.

The angle brackets 3 suspend the shell 1 at the top of the trapping compartment 5 and said shell 1 extends slightly into the recep tacle 4. y

Each of the side walls 6 of the shell 1 is of a greater' height than the other of the end Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee; sa, ieia.

walls 2 and the top edge of'each of said side walls 6 is roundedas at 7. Each of the end walls 2 has its upper portion `bent outwardly and upon itself as at 8a, to provide a trans versely extending ledge 8 and to one of said ledges isy connected through the medium of the links 9 a gang-plank' 10. The ledges 8 constitute the supports for the outer ends of a pair of oppositely disposed inclined tiltable platforms 11 and 12. Platforms 11 and 12v are arranged between the side walls of the shell 1 below the top of 4said walls andl mountedin the saidy sidewalls 6 are transverse` rods 13 to which are pivotally connected theiplatfornis 11 and 12. V

The'platforni 12 is ofV greater *length than theplatform l1 and has its inner end extending under the inner end of the said plat-v form 11, and each of said platforms when in normal position, normal yposition being` when the inner ends of the platforms overlap, extend upontheledges 8.v Each of the platformsv is provided with a counter weight' 14 for maintaining the platforms in normal position.;

4The platform `12 is what may be termed the entrance platform, that is to say,"tlie rodent travels 4up the gang-plank 10 andr passes down the lplatform-12 andthe rodents weight overbalancing the weight 14: will tilt the platform 12 andthe latter will release the platform 11 allowing it to tilt,

under such conditions precipitating the ro-` dent into the trapping compartment. The

`ledges 8 furthermore constitute a stop to arrest the tilting movement of the platforms due to the action of the weights 1%. The platform 12 is held in normal position through the medium of a `combined counterbalanced bait and platform holder, which 15, which is mounted in the bearing braclv ets 16 arranged exteriorly of one of the side walls and the said side wall is formed with an opening 17 arranged above the platform 11 and an opening 18 arranged below `the platform 12. The shaft 15 is positioned above the platform. The rear end of the shaft 15 is provided with a crank 19 which extends through the opening 17 and terminates in a bait holding arm 20, the latter including a hook 21 for securing the bait 22. The bait 22 is positioned over the platform 11 and rearwardly with respect to the platform 12. The forward end of the shaft 15 sal , formsV `11 and 12'to tilt, under such condi'- tions precipitating the rodent into the traplping compartment The downward tilting mo\ ement of .the platforms 11 and 12 vis limited'pby the stops 27. vTo prevent the arm 24 swinging in through the'opening 18 and above the platform 12, a shield 28 is pivotally connected "as, at 29, toth'at wall provided with the openings 17 and 18, and the normal positiony of the `shield 28`is as illustrated in Fig. 1, the

shieldbeing supported in such position bv thearm 24.l When the arm 24 is swung out :of the opening 18, the sha .ld 28 drops down and closes said opening 18, preventing the entrance of the arm 24'until the shield 28 is elevated'. The shield 28 is elevated through the mediumV offa pin 30 carried by one end of the shield and projecting through a segment-shaped slot 31 formed in that side pwallnkV providing the openings 17 and 18.

The pin .30 normally rests upon the platform 12 and also in the path of said platform 12 when the latter assumes its normal position. When the platform 12 elevates, it engages the pin 80, elevates the shield 28 and causes the shield to clear the opening 18 so that the arm 24 can enter said opening and support the platform 12.

What 1 claim is A rat trap comprising a shell adapted to communicate with the trapping compartment, a pair of tilting platforms arranged within said shell, having a combined counterbalanced bait and platform holder adapted when shifted in one direction to release said platforms whereby these latter can be tilted by the weight of a rodent to cause the precipitating of the latter through said shell, said holder pivotally mounted exteyriorly of one of the side walls of said shell and extending through the said side wall above the platform and below one of the platforms, and a shield to prevent said holder from returning to normal position until the platforms assume their normal position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUST. MATSON.

Witnesses:

L. L. BANE,

J OHN LAzzoR.

-Coplieisvof this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

